The Battery Drain Vector
Modern iPhones are equipped with 5G cellular modems capable of downloading gigabytes of data in seconds. While the speed is incredible, connecting to high-frequency 5G networks—especially in areas with poor signal strength—requires massive amounts of electrical power. If you are travelling through an area with patchy 5G coverage, your iPhone will constantly hunt for the signal, draining your battery at an alarming rate and causing the device to overheat. If you prioritize endurance over raw speed, you must force the phone to use older, more efficient networks.
How to Turn Off 5G
You can instruct the iOS cellular modem to completely ignore all 5G network bands and restrict its connections exclusively to LTE (4G).
1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Near the top of the list, tap on Mobile Data (or Cellular in North America).
3. Tap on Mobile Data Options (or Cellular Data Options).
4. Tap on Voice & Data.
5. You will see three options regarding the cellular modem’s behavior:
* 5G On: Forces the phone to use 5G whenever it is available, regardless of battery drain.
* 5G Auto: A smart mode that drops to LTE to save battery if 5G speeds won’t provide a noticeably better experience.
* LTE: completely disables the 5G modem.
6. Tap LTE to enforce the restriction.
Look at the top-right corner of your screen. If you were previously connected to a 5G network, the icon will instantly revert to LTE. Your download speeds will decrease, but your battery endurance in areas with weak cellular infrastructure will improve dramatically.